


Passing Through the Valley

by carolinecrane



Category: D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996), Mighty Ducks (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-04
Updated: 2012-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-28 22:46:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/313006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adam's always felt a little on the outside.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Passing Through the Valley

It wasn't the best game he'd ever played, and Adam was still sitting on the bench in front of his locker berating himself for his performance long after the rest of the team left. Sure, they'd won, but he could have scored more, could have skated better – he could have done a lot of things to make sure the scouts in the audience noticed him, and he knew what his father was going to say about him throwing away the chance to prove he was a star.

He knew the others were already on their way downtown to celebrate; he'd heard them say something about a movie and burgers, but when they'd invited him he'd just made up some excuse about needing to get home. And it didn't bother him that they didn't try harder to talk him into going along, because he still didn't really fit in. The truth was that he fit in better with the other kids at Eden Hall, the ones whose parents could afford to pay their tuition. This was the kind of school he might have gone to anyway – probably would have, considering how many championships their Varsity team had won.

That was why they'd put him on Varsity his freshman year, and it was the reason he still felt a little like he was on the outside looking in, even though he'd been playing with the Ducks for over four years now. He swallowed a sigh when the locker room door opened, glancing up in time to watch Charlie walk in. Charlie who was supposed to be on his way downtown with the rest of the team.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, frowning at Charlie's scowl. "I thought everybody was going out to celebrate."

"They are. I needed to talk to you."

He knew what was coming before Charlie said it, and he really wasn't in the mood for this conversation. Not even with Charlie…especially not with Charlie. But he was still the captain, and Adam knew Charlie wasn't going to let it go without saying whatever was on his mind. "Yeah? What's up?"

"What were you doing out there today?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the way you skated today, man. Like you were the only one on the ice."

He should have known Charlie would accuse him of showboating, like he had room to talk. And okay, maybe Charlie had learned a lot about team playing and defense while Orion was coaching them, but he still showed off whenever he thought he could get away with it. "It's our last year. I have to show the scouts what I can do."

Charlie rolled his eyes at that, arms crossed over his chest and one shoulder pressed against the lockers, and Adam had to look down at the floor just so he wouldn't be tempted to stare. "They're not just here to see you, you know."

"What, you think they're here scouting for a new manager?"

It was a low blow; Charlie had gotten a lot better in the last few years, and Adam knew he wasn't the only one on the team the scouts were interested in. They were the state champions, after all, and everybody on the team had a part in that. But no matter how hard he tried, they both knew Charlie would never be as strong a player as Adam, and Adam knew the whole team just assumed he'd be the scouts' first choice. He just wished he could be as confident as the rest of them.

"Go to hell, Adam," Charlie shot back, pushing himself off the locker next to Adam's and turning toward the door. Before he could stop himself Adam was standing up, catching up with Charlie in a few short strides and stopping him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Charlie, wait. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't…you're a solid player. They probably are here to scout you. Most of them probably aren't going to take a chance on me, not when I've already got a bad wrist. That's why I have to show them what I can do, you know? I have to be twice as aggressive as every other player just so they'll see I'm not afraid to take a hit."

For a second Charlie didn't answer – he didn't even look back, and Adam was sure he'd pushed too hard this time. He pulled his hand off Charlie's shoulder, bracing himself for a fight when Charlie turned to look at him. But Charlie didn't really look mad anymore – instead he just looked sort of sad.

"It's our last year as Ducks, shouldn't it be fun? We shouldn't have to worry about scouts and the pros and the future."

Adam couldn't count the number of times he'd wished that, wished he could just enjoy it the way the rest of them did and not worry about what happened when they stopped being Ducks. He didn't even want to think about not being a Duck anymore, because even though he didn't feel like he fit in, he knew how much he was going to miss this when it was all over. How much he was going to miss his friends, and even though he'd never admit it, he was going to miss Charlie more than any of them.

"We'll always be Ducks, Charlie. Isn't that what you always say?"

"Yeah, but it won't be the same, you know?" Charlie's mouth twisted into a crooked smile, and just for a second he looked like that twelve-year-old from District 5 who hated Adam just for living on the wrong side of the lake. "You'll be off playing hockey for some school, Dwayne's going back to Texas, Fulton's going to Chicago with Portman…everything's changing."

"So everything's changing. That doesn't mean we won't all still be a team," Adam answered, but he wasn't sure which of them he was trying to convince. He wanted to believe it, but he knew Charlie was right. "There's Christmas break, and summer…we'll still play, Charlie. You, me, all the guys. I bet even Fulton will be back. He'll miss all this just as much as everybody else."

"Do you think…I mean, will you miss it? Us?"

Maybe it was the way Charlie said it. Or it could have been the way he didn't really look at Adam when he said the words, but either way the question made Adam's stomach do a funny little flip. He wasn't even sure when his crush on Charlie started – maybe way back during the Goodwill Games, or that first year in Eden Hall when Adam was banished from the Ducks and he had all that time to think about why the team was so important to him. He'd never thought Charlie knew, though, and he'd definitely never thought Charlie might feel the same way. Even now he was sure he was just imagining things, but it was hard to be sure when Charlie was standing so close to him and the air between them was suddenly heavier.

"Sure I will. We're friends, right?" he answered, trying for a nonchalant shrug, but he was pretty sure he just looked desperate. Desperate for Charlie to believe him, maybe, or desperate for Charlie to tell him they were way more than that. But he knew better than to hope, and when Charlie nodded and took a step backwards he told himself he wasn't disappointed.

"Right. Friends."

For a second Charlie just stood there, staring over Adam's shoulder like he was trying to find the words to say something else. Then he shrugged and turned toward the door, glancing back at Adam long enough to force a smile. "I better get out of here. I told the team I'd catch up with them at the diner."

And he wasn't positive, but for the first time since they'd known each other Adam was almost sure he'd just blown the only chance he'd ever get to find out if there was anything between them. In a few seconds Charlie would walk out of the locker room and catch the bus into Minneapolis, and Adam would be left alone, feeling like an idiot and wondering if he'd just thrown away the one thing he wanted more than even a spot on the U of M hockey team. "Charlie, wait."

Charlie froze at the sound of Adam's voice, turning back toward him and it was hard to tell, but Adam was almost sure he looked kind of…hopeful. "Yeah?"

"Watch the wrist, okay?"

"What?" Charlie asked, a confused frown marring his features and for a second Adam was sure this was all a huge mistake. But it was too late to take it back now, and before he knew it he was crossing the room to stop less that a foot away from the other boy.

"When you beat the shit out of me for this, just watch my wrist."

He surged forward before he lost his nerve, one hand on the back of Charlie's neck to hold him in place as he pressed their lips together. It wasn't the first time he'd ever done this – he knew it wasn't Charlie's first kiss either, but it was the first time he'd kissed someone who might kill him for it afterwards. It was the first time he'd ever kissed a friend, and losing Charlie's friendship would be worse than Charlie taking a swing at him.

But he didn't let himself think about that – he didn't think about what happened after or how they'd get through the rest of the season if Charlie didn't feel the same way. Instead he focused on the warmth of Charlie's lips under his, thin and a little chapped and even better than he'd imagined. He wasn't sure what to expect – shock, definitely, maybe Charlie's hands on him to push him away. For a few seconds Charlie didn't respond at all, and Adam was starting to feel a little stupid when Charlie's mouth finally – _finally_ – moved against his.

It was tentative, just a slight parting of Charlie's lips, like maybe he was still trying to figure out what was happening. It was enough to convince Adam he hadn't just made the biggest mistake of his life, though, so he opened his own mouth and threaded a hand through Charlie's hair, tilting his head to fit their mouths together. Charlie's hands left his sides to settle on Adam's hips, and Adam tensed as he waited for the other boy to push him away. Then Charlie's grip tightened, and instead of pushing Adam backward he pulled him closer, murmuring something against Adam's mouth as he moved them backwards.

When his back hit the wall next to the door Adam broke the kiss, blinking until Charlie came into focus. "What did you say?"

"I said 'finally'."

Adam's laughter faded to a muffled gasp when Charlie's mouth pressed against his for the second time, tongue sliding past Adam's teeth and his hands pushing up under Adam's t-shirt. His fingers were cool against Adam's skin, sending a shiver down his spine as he wrapped his arms around Charlie's shoulders. He wanted to ask how long Charlie had been thinking about this, how much time they'd wasted. But he couldn't talk with Charlie's tongue in his mouth, and when Charlie's hands slid down his back to push past the waistband of his jeans Adam stopped thinking at all.

He wasn't thinking about how dangerous this was, how anybody could walk in and catch them. He didn't even care, because he'd wanted Charlie for way too long to stop even long enough to find someplace more private. It was pretty obvious Charlie felt the same way, at least if the way he was moving against Adam was anything to go by. Then there were the needy little noises he was making in the back of his throat, the steady movement of his hips and when his cock pressed against Adam's through their jeans Adam moaned and broke the kiss.

His fingers dug into Charlie's shoulders, tugging and pushing until Charlie took the hint and let Adam turn them so Charlie's back was pressed against the wall. And he'd never admit how many times he'd fantasized about this, but there was no way Adam was going to pass up the chance to suck Charlie off in the locker room. He dropped to his knees as gracefully as he could, glancing up at Charlie as he reached for the other boy's zipper. When Adam's hand finally closed around his dick Charlie groaned, his head hitting the wall with a dull thud.

Adam grinned and stroked a few times, getting used to the feel of Charlie's cock in his hand. Charlie, hard because of _him_ , and he'd never let himself believe this would happen. He'd thought about it a million times, jerked off to the image and spent the next few days avoiding looking at Charlie for fear the other boy would be able to tell. But he'd never thought it would really happen, and when his mouth closed around Charlie's dick for the first time there was a part of him that expected Charlie to stop him.

Only he didn't, and when his hand pushed through Adam's hair it wasn't to pull him away and mumble something about this being a mistake. Instead his fingers flexed arrhythmically against Adam's scalp, tightening just a little whenever Adam found a really sensitive spot. One hand rested on Charlie's hip, holding him against the wall. The other gripped the base of Charlie's cock, stroking in time with his mouth. He tasted of salt and bitter and Charlie, familiar but different at the same time and Adam rolled the flavor on his tongue, memorizing it in case he never got another chance to do this.

Charlie was breathing hard above him, fingers gripping Adam's hair hard and when Adam glanced up Charlie's head was moving back and forth against the wall. A broken moan escaped his throat, then another, and Adam hollowed his cheeks and swallowed around Charlie's length. That earned him another moan, louder this time and he prayed none of the team decided to come back and find out what was taking Charlie so long.

He let go of Charlie's cock to roll Charlie's balls between his fingers, swallowing again when he felt them tighten. And he'd never figured Charlie for a talker, but he was murmuring something Adam couldn't make out and when Adam flattened his tongue against Charlie's cock and swallowed again Charlie groaned and came. His hand tightened in Adam's hair, hard enough to hurt and Adam reached up to push it away.

He pulled his mouth away and stood up, reaching for the nearest towel and spitting into it before he tossed it back in the laundry cart. And suddenly he was a little nervous, but he forced himself to look at Charlie and when he found the other boy panting and grinning at him his heart skipped a beat.

"Where'd…?"

"Hockey camp," Adam answered, blushing at the memory of the rest of the guys making fun of him for his 'rich kid cake-eater hockey camp'. He hadn't really wanted to go, because it meant two weeks away from his friends when he could have been practicing with them every day, but it had definitely been a learning experience. He grinned at his own joke, face hot and he wasn't sure if he was blushing at the memory or the fact that he'd just blown his best friend.

Then Charlie reached for him, catching his hand and pulling him close and it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered when Charlie was kissing him, chasing the taste of himself on Adam's tongue and reaching between them with shaking fingers to work Adam's pants open. And it wasn't a blow job from a hot senior who already had offers from pro teams, but it was Charlie's hand on him and that was a hundred times hotter. A thousand times, because he'd wanted this for longer than he could remember and he still couldn't believe it was happening.

Charlie was still kissing him, shifting a little to find a less awkward position and it took a few tries, but they finally fell into a rhythm. Adam didn't even bother trying not to thrust into Charlie's grip, couldn't hold back the needy moans but it didn't matter between Charlie swallowed the sound with more kisses. His free hand rested against Adam's neck, fingers stroking the skin just above his spine and Adam knew he was going to wreck their clothes but he couldn't make himself care.

He broke the kiss with a gasp, face buried against Charlie's neck to muffle the sound of Charlie's name when he came. They stayed that way until he caught his breath, Charlie's thumb still moving against his neck and when Adam finally summoned the energy to pull away he winced at the sight of Charlie's shirt. Charlie followed his gaze automatically, shrugging and wiping his hand on the thin cotton before he pulled it over his head.

"It's okay, I've got another one in my locker."

All Adam could do was nod, because Charlie was half naked now and standing in front of him like it was no big deal. And it wasn't like they hadn't changed in front of each other before, but now…now everything was different. Only he wasn't sure how different, and the longer the silence stretched out between them the more awkward he felt just standing there in the middle of the locker room.

He watched as Charlie pulled a fresh t-shirt on, tossing the other one in the back of his locker before he closed it and turned to look at Adam again. "If we hurry we can probably catch up with the guys before the movie starts. Or we could just go hang out at my place if you want, my mom's working the late shift tonight."

The last part sounded almost hesitant, like Charlie was afraid Adam might actually say no. Somehow that made him feel a little better, and he found himself grinning idiotically. "Yeah, sure. I mean I can hang out for awhile. Unless you want to catch the movie."

He had a feeling he sounded as stupid as he felt, but if Charlie noticed he didn't say anything. Instead he smiled back at Adam and took a few steps forward, hesitating just for a second before he kissed Adam again. "I'm not really in the mood for a movie."

 _Thank God,_ Adam thought, swallowing a relieved sigh. He wanted to be with Charlie even if that meant catching up with their friends, but he had no idea how he was going to sit through an entire movie surrounded by the whole team after what had just happened between them. "Me neither," he answered, trying and failing to hold back a smile when Charlie slid an arm around his shoulders and steered them out of the locker room.


End file.
